DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Pub. 2020/0363268 (“Matsushima”).
Claim 1
Matshushima discloses a temperature sensor comprising: a flexible printed circuit board (FPC 20); a chip thermistor mounted on the flexible printed circuit board via surface mounting (chip thermistor 12); a metallic heat receiving component configured to come into contact with a measured portion (metal spring 30); and an elastic element integrated to the heat receiving component with the flexible printed circuit board interposed between the elastic element and the heat receiving component (elastic piece 33), wherein the elastic element has a cavity such that the elastic element is not in contact with a portion of the flexible printed circuit board (Fig. 6, opening of metal spring 30 near legs 32), and wherein the chip thermistor is mounted on the portion of the flexible printed circuit board (Fig. 6).
Claim 2
Matshushima disclose the temperature sensor according to claim 1, wherein the heat receiving component includes a frame-shaped contact portion configured to come into contact with the measured portion (frame shape formed by legs 32), and wherein the flexible printed circuit board is interposed between the contact portion and the elastic element (Figs. 2 and 7, positioned within the bounds of contact and elastic portions in plan view), and the chip thermistor is surrounded by the contact portion (Fig. 7).
Claim 3
Matshushima discloses a temperature sensor assembly comprising: the temperature sensor according to claim 1; and a case configured to be attached to the measured portion while holding the temperature sensor, wherein the case includes a facing wall configured to face the measured portion, the facing wall having a holding hole for the temperature sensor (flat plate portion forming casing walls 31), wherein the elastic element includes: a press-fit lock portion press-fitted into the holding hole (paragraph [0025]); a plate portion with the flexible printed circuit board interposed between the plate portion and the heat receiving component (Figs. 2 and 7, positioned within the bounds of flat plate and metal spring in plan view); and an intermediate portion between the press-fit lock portion and the plate portion, wherein the cavity extends from the plate portion to the intermediate portion (Fig. 3).
Claim 4
Matshushima discloses a temperature sensor assembly comprising: the temperature sensor according to claim 2; and a case configured to be attached to the measured portion while holding the temperature sensor, wherein the case includes a facing wall configured to face the measured portion, the facing wall having a holding hole for the temperature sensor (Fig. 6), wherein the elastic element includes: a press-fit lock portion press-fitted into the holding hole; a plate portion with the flexible printed circuit board interposed between the plate portion and the heat receiving component; and an intermediate portion between the press-fit lock portion and the plate portion, wherein the cavity extends from the plate portion to the intermediate portion (paragraph [0025]).
Claim 5
Matshushima discloses the temperature sensor assembly according to claim 3, wherein the case includes a standing wall extending from the facing wall toward the plate portion, wherein a space is provided between the standing wall and the plate portion in a state of the case being attached to the measured portion, and wherein the cavity has a dimension along a direction extending from the facing wall toward the plate portion, the dimension being larger than the space (Matshushima, Fig. 3).
Claim 6
Matshushima discloses the temperature sensor assembly according to claim 4, wherein the case includes a standing wall extending from the facing wall toward the plate portion, wherein a space is provided between the standing wall and the plate portion in a state of the case being attached to the measured portion, and wherein the cavity has a dimension along a direction extending from the facing wall toward the plate portion, the dimension being larger than the space (Matshushima, Fig. 3).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERICA S Y LIN whose telephone number is (571)270-7911. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-4, TW M,W.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Douglas X Rodriguez can be reached at (571) 431-0716. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ERICA S LIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853